Moving-picture film.



C. B. REAR|CK. MOVING PFCTURE'FILM.v APPLICATION F'ILED sEPT.24. 1914.

1,255,838. Patented Feb.5,1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES IB. REARICK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORTO AUSTIN D. BRIXEY, OFNEW YORK, N. Y.

movme-rrorunn FILM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. REARICK, citizen of the United States,and resident of the city of New York, in the county of New York andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMoving-Picture Films, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to films for moving picture machines andoperating means therefor.

Ordinarily the films of moving picture machinesare perforated alongtheir edges and the rollers or wheels over which they (pass are providedwith projections adapte to register with the perforations. It is anobject of the present invention to provide an improved 1.1m andcooperating sprocket or sprockets having the perforations so arrangedand constructed that the ordinary film having a single row or line ofperforations along each edge or any other film differing from theimproved construction is prevented from being used in a machine adaptedfor the improved film. The

substitution of inflammable or otherwise inferior films is prevented.

A further object of the invention is to strengthen the filmconstruction.

Other and ancillary objects of the invention will appear hereinafter. Inthe accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a film and manipulating mechanismshowing the manner of cooperation of the sprocket wit the film; I t

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a flat section of a film, the same as shown inFig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 of a modified structure of film.

Fig. 4 is a view of a modified structure of -Referring to the drawingsand first to Figs. 1 and 2, the sprocket 1 is driven by a suitablymounted rotatable shaft 2 which ture machines. Along each edge of thefilm extends a set of perforations with which "the projections on thesprocket wheel are adapted to register and, entering the perforations,insure positive driving and pre-' vent slipping. In practice a number 1of such sprocket wheels are provided throughout the machine to guide anddrive the film at desired points. The showing of the manner of theapplication of the film to one of such sprocket wheels serves, however,to illustrate the manner in which it is applied to all. A furtherillustration would simply extend the drawings and description withoutmaking the matter clearer. The film is held upon the sprocket wheel orroller by means of rotating wheels 8 and 9 having channels or grooves 10and 11 which permit the sprockets to pass and at the same time holdthe-film snugly to the roller.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 2, it"

as the perforation of the inside row. uponthe opposite edge. Similarly.a perforation of the outside row on one edge is directly opposite theperforation of the inside row on the opposite edge. Also considering theset of perforations along one edge of the .film, it will be seen thatthey are not in a straight line, but that they are staggered withrelation to each other. It will be seen that the sprocket wheel isprovided with teeth or perforations to register with these perforations.there being an outside row 14 and an inside row 15 arrangedcircumferentially of the roller at one end, while at the other end areinner side row 16 and an outside row 17.

It will be observed that with this construction and arrangement ofperforations that those perforations which are in a straight lon'tudinal line with each other, are twice as ar apart as if all of theperforations were in a straight line. This provides twice as muchmaterial in the line of pull of a sprocket on the film and therefore thestrength of the film is enhanced. Furthermore, since for everyperforation upon one side there is a perforati n n the other,

there will always be a pull on one side of the film when there is a pullupon the other, so that the pull upon the film as a whole will be evenand distortion of the film prevented. This is accomplished withoutsacrificing any of the perforations per unit of length of the film. Itis well known to film operators that a film wears out because of thepull of the sprocket teeth against the sides of the perforations, thesesides eventually so wearing or tearing that the film is no longeruseful. In the usual standard form of film, the perforations being in asingle row along each edge, they are placed as close together as isconsistent with strength of material between them so that as many teethas possible engage the film. This divides the pull and reduces thestress on any one perforation side. The film of the present inventionmaintains the frequency of the perforations longitudinally of the film,thereby reducing the pull per tooth to a minimum as described and at thesame time attains the other advantages mentioned. As to prevention ofsubstitution of films, if a sprocket is adapted to cooperate with a filmof Figs. 1 and 2, an ordinary film cannot be used on the sprocket, forthe reason that the ordinary film would have its perforations spacedlongitudinally by about the same distance as the sprocket teeth, but thefilm perforations would be in a straight line. The result would be thatin the row of perforations of the ordinary film,

the sprockets might engage every other perforation, but for the otherrow of sprocket teeth on that edge of the film there would be noperforations at all. This would cause the film to be punched and damagedby the sprocket teeth and prevent its practical use. The film andsprocket wheel of Figs. 1 and 2 might be so dimensioned that thedistance between the rows of perforations on the two edges in theordinary film would be such as to bring the row on each side between theinner and outer rows of sprocket teeth. There would then be noperforations for any of the sprocket teeth to engage in,. which wouldhave a tendency to tear out the holes in the film and its satisfactoryoperation would be prevented. In any event, no satisfactory operation ofthe ordinary film on the sprocket adapted to co'iiperate with theimproved film could be secured.

Fig. 3 shows a film similar to Fig. 2, but differing, in that instead ofhaving inside holes opposite each other and outside holes opposite eachother transversely of the film, in Fig. 3 an inside hole has directlyopposite an outside hole. Of course where this film is used the teeth onthe sprocket wheels would be arranged to properly register with theholes.

Fig. 4 shows a film similar to that shown in Figs. 2 and 3 in that itmakes use'of the plurality of rows of perforations staggered along oneedge, but differing therefrom in that'there is a single row ofperforations along one edge; the perforations on the two edges are, asin the other figures, directly opposite each other. With this film, aswith the others,'the sprocket teeth are arranged to register with thefilm perforations.

While the invention has been described in what is considered its bestapplications, it may have other embodiments without departing from itsspirit and is therefore notlimited to the structures shown in the draw-1n s.

T claim and desire to obtain by Letters Patent the following:

1. A moving picture film having perforations staggered with relation toeach other along one edge and perforations along the other edge. 2.A'moving picturefilm having perforations staggered with relation to eachother along one edge and perforations along the other edge directlyopposite perforations along the firstmentioned edge.

3. A moving picture film having a'plurality of rows of perforationsalong one edge, the perforations of one row being staggered withrelation to the perforations of the other row, and perforations alongthe other edge.

1. A moving picture film having perforations staggered with relation toeach other along'each side,

5. A moving picture film having perforations staggered with relation toeach other along each side, perforations of one edge being directlyopposite perforations along the other edge.

6. A moving picture film having along each edge aplurality of rows ofperforations, the perforations of one row beingstaggered with relationto the other.

7. A moving picture film having along each edge an inner and an outerrow of perforations, one row being staggered with relation to the otherand the perforations of the inner rows on the two edges being directlyopposite each other.

8. A moving picture film having along each edge an inner and an outerrow of per-

